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Felipe Casillas is good samaritan

Young man returns lost check for widow

By Bill Armendariz

barmendariz @demingheadlight.com @demingheadlight on Twitter

Posted:
02/26/2014 04:07:14 PM MST

Bill Armendariz — Headlight Photo
Felipe Casillas fills the apple cart at Peppers Supermarket on Tuesday. The assistant produce manager received attention last week when he returned a blank check made out for a substantial amount to a Deming widow who lost it on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

There's a motto that sticks with Felipe Casillas while he works the produce counters at Peppers Supermarket. He said "My boss tells me our work should be about what we CAN do for our customers, and not what we CAN'T do for our customers."

Casillas, 23, used that thread to help an elderly widowed woman in a bad situation.

Judi at the Galleria on 8th St. assisted in the purchase purchased some estate property from the widow and wrote out a check for a substantial amount. The widow requested the check be left blank, due to the fact that she may have someone else deposit the check in the bank.

"I got a call from the woman and she was in tears," she said. "She went to the bank branch drive-thru window and a gust of wind freed the check from her fingers and it blew away and out of sight."

Distraught over the loss of the check, the widow was assured by Judi that the Galleria would issue another check in the amount.

That same afternoon, Judi received a phone call from Casillas requesting the address of the Galleria. "He said he found a blank check that was made out from us. I gave him the directions and he promptly delivered the check back to us."

Judi immediately called the widow with the good news and Casillas became a hometown hero.

"He's a fine upstanding young man. It's good to know there are wonderful young people who do good things everyday," Judi said.

That's a thread Casillas shares with his upbringing from two Mexican parents who at one time worked the fields to make ends meet and raised a family with strong moral fiber.

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"My parents have always told me to work hard and treat people fairly. I try to live the way my parents did," Casillas said.

He had just clocked out from work that day he found the check in the parking lot of Ultimate Fitness.

"I was getting into my car when I saw a piece of paper that looked like one of my checks," Casillas said. "I didn't think about it much at first, then I said, 'I better check this out.'"

He got out of car and picked up the check to see it was blank and signed by the Galleria.

"I thought about taking it to the bank, but then I saw the Galleria's name on the check — but no address." Casillas noted.

That's when the call came in and the tears stopped.

"When I met Felipe I could see he was just that kind of guy," Judi said upon their meeting at the Galleria. "Young people like Felipe resonate from how they were raised."

Peppers co-owner Mark Schultze speaks highly of the "Peppers People" every chance he gets. "Felipe is a wonderful employee and cool kid.

Casillas did not want to accept a gift certificate from the Galleria on 8th when he first met with Kendall, so one was left in his name at the service desk at Peppers.

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